Looking to land a new job before the ball drops in Times Square this New Year’s Eve? Then limber up. If you play this right, you could be waltzing into a groovy new gig by December. Even better? If you start right now, you very well might avoid the glut of “New Year’s Resolutioners,” who will wake up on January 2 and vow to make 2019 their year. Two-thousand eighteen. Forget about waiting. Seize the moment and close the deal now. Do you want to take a run at it? Here’s a rough outline of what you need to do: Step 1: Construct Your Game Plan Before you do a…

“I’m sorry—we’ve actually made an offer to another candidate.” It’s a phrase any job hunter hates to hear, especially when the days drag on after your initial interview, and you begin to wonder, “Where did I go wrong?” Of course, most of us already know the tried-and-true etiquette for landing your dream job: Don’t forget the cover letter. Make sure your social media accounts are up-to-date. But what other little hobgoblins of job hunting can really trip you up? We spoke to hiring managers to find out the real reasons good applicants can get the ax—and seven told us how potential hires they’ve interviewed have talked themselves out of a paycheck. 1. Lack of Follow…

You had an interview this morning and you distinctly remember the hiring manager paying you a compliment. At least, you think it was something positive—right? Well, there are a few comments that sound promising—until you translate them from hiring the manager to the normal person. Turns out that sometimes the interviewer is finding a nice way to tell you it’s not going to happen. So listen up and pay attention when you hear any of the following: 1. “You’re So Enthusiastic” Translation: “You’re Freaking Me Out” Enthusiasm is good: No one is going to hire someone who could care less about the work. However, a person who’s overly excited isn’t…

Here’s a fact about self-doubt: Everyone has it. Even some of the most famous people have suffered from self-doubt. Lady Gaga revealed in her documentary that she “sometimes feels like a loser kid in high school.” Arianna Huffington calls the negative self-talk in her head her obnoxious roommate. And like the supreme athlete she is, Serena Williams manages to pull through physically to overcome a negative mental state. There’s plenty of great advice on ways to conquer it. But—bear with me here—it actually has some benefits if you learn how to think about it the right way. So before you swat that “negative” feeling away and let it cripple your confidence, remind yourself of these four things: 1.…

Are you spending your holiday sitting around bored with nothing to do? Don’t waste your precious day off – there are many, many things you can do to occupy yourself, even if the holiday is a week-long or not. You can find many ways to fill your day, both inside and out, using your intellect or your creative energies, or simply hanging out with other people. 1.Enjoying the Great Outdoors Step out into the fresh air. Simple outdoor pleasures are highly underrated. Not only is a quick trip out of the house invigorating and mood-lifting, but also a great opportunity for exercise. If you have been thinking of reducing those bulges,…

Describing an entry-level position on your resume is tricky. After all, there’s a good chance your main responsibilities aren’t super important to your company’s overall success. And they, therefore, don’t sound all that impressive to a stranger. While you might be tempted to make them sound bigger and better than they really are—don’t. That lie will catch up with you at some (embarrassing) point in the interview process. But don’t worry, all hope is not lost! We’ve got five techniques for accurately, yet strategically representing your entry-level job. 1. Describe How You Furthered Company Goals At the end of the day, you were hired for one reason: To make the company more…

You just started a new job and you’re so excited. There’s just one catch: You’re clearly the least experienced person on the team. Maybe you’re the youngest, or maybe you’ve changed careers, or maybe you just made an internal transfer. Whatever the scenario, everyone around you knows their work like the back of their hand, leaving you feeling like you’re lagging behind. While that’s not the most comforting or enjoyable feeling, the fact is you’ll face challenges specific to having less experience. But since you know that, you can be prepared for—and address—the four most common issues. 1. Challenge: You Have Imposter Syndrome When you learn co-workers have a lot more experience…

For many salespeople, selling a product or service is second nature. But, closing the deal on a job interview can sometimes feel like a tough sell. Fortunately, some of the same skills it takes to be a successful salesperson can help you become the perfect job candidate. Among those skills is preparedness—like knowing what interview questions might be coming your way. So, to help you close that interview deal, we’ve rounded up some of the most common sales interview questions. Read on, and prepare to ace them! 1. Tell Me About a Time You Lost a Sale Every salesperson has lost sales. That’s unavoidable. But, what matters is that you…

Even if you’re a stellar employee, performance reviews can be a surprisingly draining process. Whether you’re sitting across from your manager panicking about all those times you came in a little (or a lot) after 9 AM or filling out a self-appraisal form, going over everything you’ve done in the past year and then topping it off with goals for the next is all just a bit overwhelming. But turns out, there are a couple things you can do throughout the year to make this process a whole lot less stressful. Starting today, add these simple tips to your daily routine, and you’ll be totally prepared for a fantastic meeting. 1. Track Your Job…

There’s so much to think about when you’re starting a new job. In fact, you’ve probably already made a list to help you make a great first impression at work and it might be looking a little long for your taste. But there’s one super easy and extremely important thing I’ll bet isn’t on there: Practicing your introductions. That’s right. Introducing yourself may sound like something you’ve got down—you’ve been doing it for years, after all. But when it comes to those early intros to all your new co-workers, you probably want to have a plan. Because first-day you are going to be nervous enough without having to ad lib…